


Thankful

by ChavaTulip



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Gabe's in Overwatch but it's after years of staying in Talon so... yeah..., I see him dying of old age and other complications to his health then anything else, I swear it's not gruesome, Kind of canon divergent, M/M, Please Don't Hate Me, Please Don't Kill Me, Reaper76 - Freeform, r76
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2019-09-23
Packaged: 2020-10-26 16:30:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20745260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChavaTulip/pseuds/ChavaTulip
Summary: "Thank you for loving me, Jackie."





	Thankful

Gabriel leaned into his chair, sitting outside of the med-bay impatiently, all evident by the grimace on his face and heavy black smoke emitting from his person. Even as people passed him, no dared to look at him in the eye, for fear of facing the Reaper’s wrath. Besides, no one was brave, as well as stupid, enough to be around the man when his anger was at its boiling point.

However, what passersby mistook for rage was something entirely different.

It was fear, and Gabriel did not deal with that emotion very well. Then again, when it came to the man he cherished, he teetered further in breaking whatever moral walls held him back.

And, just as he was about to burst at the seams and smash his way into the med-bay, the doors creaked open, revealing an exhausted Angela, who exited and stood in front of the entrance.

“Reyes.”

Hearing his name called by the woman, Gabriel wasted no time in getting out of his seat and deliberately shadow stepping towards her, having become impatient as time passed.

Towering over Angela, Gabriel quickly noticed the somber expression on her face, shown through a tight frown and navy-blue eyes appearing to have had the color withdrawn from them. Even just by looking at her, whatever news Angela was about to give the former-Talon leader, Gabriel knew that it was just going to go downhill from here.

“How’s Jack?” Gabriel finally asked, only to receive a side-eyed glance from the woman.

In most cases, this behavior would have easily angered Gabriel. But, as he was about to get into Angela’s face and pressure her for an answer, Gabriel noticed Angela’s eyes beginning to well up with tears. With the realization that the doctor was on the brink of bawling her eyes out, Gabriel’s chest ached heavily, his crimson eyes starting to glisten.

“Angela-.”

“I tried!” Angela choked out as she cut the man off, the tone in her words jarring and startling the man. “I tried, but I just couldn't!”

As a sob escaped her lips, Gabriel pulled the doctor into a tight embrace, trying his best to calm her. Though highly uncharacteristic for Gabriel, especially in recent years, it was something that he did during Overwatch’s glory days. And, as quoted by Jack, old habits die hard.

“I know you tried,” Gabriel whispered as he continued to try and bring Angela to her senses, smoothing her back up and down gently. “It’s alright, doc.”

Lifting her head to face him, Gabriel spotted the red tear strains that riddled her cheeks, her eyes red and puffy.

Then, with a shaky inhale, Angela let go, wiping away whatever tears that remained on her face.

“Get going. He does not have much longer.”

On cue, Gabriel withered into smoke and entered the med-bay, swiveling his way to where Jack currently resided. Then, entering Jack’s room, Gabriel returned to his original form and stood right at the other man's bedside, his heart throbbing as he saw Jack greet him with a warm smile weathered by age. But, even so, Gabriel could not help but feel as if he was falling in love all over again.

“Angela told you, didn’t she?” Jack asked, his voice sounding harsh and ragged.

Gabriel nodded solemnly, earning a small chuckle from the old soldier.

“Figured.”

“Wouldn’t blame her, Jack,” Gabriel replied. “She cares about you.”

Jack nodded in response as he shifted in his bed, attempting to make room for his lover to lie next to him in what would be his final moments. Once done, Jack patted his hand lightly on the space he had made, to which Gabriel did not hesitate to occupy. Once in the space, Gabriel placed his head gingerly against Jack’s chest, wanting to savor these last moments with his boy scout.

“Gabe.”

“Yeah, Jackie?”

“Thank you.”

Gabriel glanced up at his lover briefly, taking in his aged features and how, even in such a feeble state, Jack was still as handsome and charming as when the day they had met. Of course, this thought only saddened him, his heart throbbing at the fact that, at any moment, Jack would no longer be with him in this world.

And, this time, it was permanent.

“Want to explain why that is, sunshine? I haven’t been on my best behavior for the past few years,” Gabriel retorted, referring to the years he remained with Talon and fighting against Overwatch, which ultimately led to the two men finding themselves once again.

Jack only let out a raspy laugh before explaining himself.

“I want to thank you for sticking by me through all those years," Jack began, his lips forming a small smile. "Sure, we had a rough patch a couple years back, but you stuck by me from the very beginning. Helped me get through SEP, saved my ass countless times during the Omnic Crisis, had my back when I became Strike Commander, being the love of my life.”

Jack paused for a moment, glancing back at Gabriel with yet another warm smile, making Gabriel’s heart soar.

“And, when you came back… Gabe, you have no idea how much it meant to me.” Taking in a deep breath, Jack laid his head back on his pillow, his heart beginning to slow. “I love you.”

Sensing Jack beginning to slip away, Gabriel felt tears begin to prick at the corner of his eyes and tried his best to blink them away. However, he was unable to do so in time as hot tears rolled down his face and small sobs emitted from his lips.

Though he did not admit it, Gabriel was going to miss Jack.

He was going to miss his bright-blue eyes that softened at the smallest of smiles, how his nose would crinkle up whenever he focused on a task, the playful quips and light teasing he would do at any moment whenever Gabriel was near, and miss how Jack would become flustered at the endless caliber of pet names Gabriel would list off.

He was going miss Jack’s gentle caress and how the former-Blackwatch Commander relished in feeling Jack’s fingers comb through his hair, how tender each kiss was, and how Jack tasted like an apple pie with a hint cinnamon--he was going to miss it all.

As his body trembled helplessly against his dying lover, Gabriel leaned up slightly and pressed a soft kiss against his lips, knowing that it was going to Jack’s last.

“I love you,” Gabriel finally sobbed out as he pulled away, his eyes overflowing with tears as he felt Jack heave his final breath and eyes slowly starting to close. “Thank you for loving me, Jackie.”

With Jack’s chest no longer rising and heartbeat at a full stop, Gabriel cried out in agony at the loss of Jack Morrison.

His colleague.

His best friend.

And, most importantly, the love of his life.


End file.
